The Mindcaster and the Hawk
by Rucasofcamelot
Summary: Melissa has a cousin. He disappeared and she had no clue what has happened to him... until now. MidnightersxAnimorphs.
1. Chapter 1

**I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THIS!!**

Chapter One

Melissa focused, putting all her attention on the thoughts around her, trying to ignore the ones coming from Flyboy and Jessica. Midnight was always the easiest time for trying to find new midnighters, because those were the only active minds around.

"Nothing," Melissa finally said.

Jessica and Jonathan hung their heads. "We've been at this for nearly a month," Jonathan sighed, leaning against the immobile car.

"And we'll keep going at it," Jessica replied, taking his hand.

Melissa rolled her eyes. _Get a room._

The dark moon set. The Blue Time ended. Melissa got into the car and curled up for another good night's sleep. Jonathan got into the front seat, sullen. Jessica was, of course, gone. Still trapped in the Blue Time like the many darklings that went into hiding after Halloween.

Then, she heard it.

'Are you sure you're okay, Rachel?'

"I'm fine. I won't pretend what happened yesterday with David didn't shake me up... but Ax and me both. But I'll get over it."

Who was up at this time of night? Melissa wondered. And that first voice. It had sounded so familiar... Could it be?

Melissa started the engine.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Jonathan asked.

"We're going for a little ride," Melissa muttered.

They stopped at a meadow. Melissa saw the red- tailed hawk flutter to a tree and rest there. Being a mindcaster, it only took a few seconds for her to understand.

"What are we doing?" Jonathan complained.

"See that hawk?" Melissa pointed out the red- tail. "His name is Tobias. He's my cousin."


	2. Chapter 2

**I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THIS!!**

Chapter Two

The morning sun shone brightly on Tobias's meadow. He awoke earlier than usual, due to the sound of someone approaching.

It was a girl. She looked to be in her mid-teens, with longish brown hair. Even though it had been a couple years since Tobias had last seen her, he couldn't fail to recognize his cousin.

"Hi Tobias," Melissa greeted beneath the tree on which the hawk was perched.

Tobias's heart missed a couple beats. How did she know who he was? Could she be connected to the yeerks? Even if she was a controller, the yeerks didn't know who he was.

"Its okay," Melissa said. "Im not a controller. I gotta say,though, it is a little un-nerving to know a race of alien slugs that can control the mind have invaded Earth."

'How do you know all this?' Tobias demanded in thought- speak. There was no use pretending anymore.

"Im a mindcaster," Melissa replied, smiling.

Tobias flew as fast as he could to Rachel's house, praying she would be there. He peered in through her bedroom window. Rachel was lying on her bed, reading a fashion magezine. He tapped on the glass.

"Tobias, what's wrong?" Rachel asked, opening the window.

'Our lives have just gotten a whole lot weirder," Tobias said.

Three hours later, Tobias was on his usual perch in Cassie's barn. He explained everything to the others: Melissa, darklings, the blue time. Marco was, of course, skeptical. "Are you sure this chick isn't just crazy?" He asked Tobias.

'Melissa could read my mind. She knew everything about us,' Tobias countered.

"We should find her," Jake concluded. "This isn't the first time some long- lost relative of Tobias has shown up in town. The last time this happened, it was Visser Three himself."

'Melissa isn't Visser Three, Jake,' Tobias said.

Then, he saw her. Melissa was running to the barn. 'She's coming!' Tobias warned the others.

"Ax! Morph!" Jake ordered.

'Not to disrespect your wishes, Prince Jake, but if this girl knows about us, morphing will do little,' the Andalite replied.

The barn door banged open and Melissa came to a halt before the Animorphs.

'She is not a controller,' Ax informed the others. Ax had a knack of knowing those things.

"Im not one to usually ask for help," Melissa said. "But I really do need your help."

'What's wrong?' Tobias asked.

"Another Midnighter- Jonathan. He's about to become a controller."


	3. Chapter 3

**I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THIS!!**

Chapter Three

"After talking to Tobias, I went back to where he was supposed to be waiting, but he wasn't there," Melissa began. "I spent a few moments trying to taste him. I caught him... but there was something else in his mind. Something evil."

'Yeerk,' Tobias muttered.

"There is only one way to save your friend," Jake told Melissa.

"I know. Holding him for three days, starving him," Melissa said. "Mindcaster," she reminded them.

"The problem is catching him," pointed out Cassie, while trying to stuff a couple pills down a racoon's throat.

"Leave that to me," said Melissa. "I can handle Flyboy."

'I'm going with you,' said Tobias.

Melissa knew he wasn't about to back down, so she said yes.

"Well, I'm going too," the blond girl, Rachel added.

Melissa sighed. "Fine. But no one else. I don't want Jonathan getting suspicious. Which reminds me, Tobias, I think the whole hawk thing will tip him off. He knows about you, so the yeerk will know."

Tobias nodded and began to morph. His feathers melted into pink skin. His talons formed into toes. His hair grew into a messy dirty- blond. In just a couple minutes, Melissa's cousin had changed from a red- tailed hawk into a teenage boy in skin- tight clothing and barefoot.

After getting Tobias into some proper clothes, the trio got into Melissa's ford and took off into town. Tobias was anxious to hurry due to his two- hour time limit.

"It won't take long," Melissa told him. "I'm a mindcaster, so I can taste him from a far."

"These 'midnighters,'" Rachel said. "How many of you are there?"

"In Bixby there are five- six if you count Madeleine. But an incident last month sent her into a catatonic state. The flame- bringer, Jessica became trapped in the secret hour. We can only see her during midnight." Melissa didn't like telling them all of this. But they already knew most of it. Might as well fill them in on the rest.

"He's there!" Melissa suddenly said, pointing to the sidewalk, where Jonathan had noticed them and waited. They got out of the car and surrounded him. "It's over. Come with us."

Jonathan smiled. "I figured you would know I had taken over this boy as a host, Melissa. Who are they?"

"Friends," Melissa said. "Now get in the car!"

"Do it before we force you!" Rachel seethed.

Jonathan smiled. "Friend? Or your cousin in morph and his friend? I haven't told Visser Three of him yet. I wanted to meet you myself."

"Well, you've met us," Rachel snapped. "Now get in the car!"

Jonathan knew escape was hopeless as he was outnumbered and outmatched. For now. So, he got in the ford, followed by the others, and they drove away.


	4. Chapter 4

**I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THIS!!**

Chapter Four

It was 11: 58 P.M. Melissa, Tobias, and Rachel had Jonathan's hands tied behind his back in the woods behind Cassie's barn. Melissa knew what was coming, and Rachel and Tobias wasn't going to be able to help.

Jonathan smiled. "You plan on keeping me here three days- to starve me. You won't win."

"Want a bet?" Rachel retorted.

'About a minute more, Melissa,' Tobias said in thought- speak.

"I know," Melissa replied. "I'm ready."

Moments later, the blue time arrived. Rachel and Tobias were frozen in time. They looked dead. They were what Melissa called stiffs.

"Melissa! Oh my god!" Jessica shouted, appearing and running to her boyfriend.

Melissa stopped her. "No Jess! He's not Jonathan anymore."

Jessica looked at her as if she were crazy. "What are you talking about?"

"Help me, Jessica," Jonathan said. He sounded genuinly afraid. "Something's wrong with Melissa. Her and that girl attacked me!"

"He's lying," Melissa told Jessica calmly.

"I think you are." Jessica lunged for Jonathan. Melissa lunged for Jessica. The two rolled around, struggling for control. Jessica grabbed a large stone and slammed it into Melissa's head.

Jessica seemed temporarily stunned by her actions, but quickly got over it and untied Jonathan's hands.

Melissa was dazed, but was starting to regain her composer. But too late.

"What's wrong with you?" Jessica demanded of her.

Melissa slowly stood up, her head pounding. "You just made a big mistake."

Jonathan laughed. "Thanks Jess. Now, I'm out of here."

Jessica gazed at him in confusion. Melissa ran to tackle him. But again, she was too late.

Jonathan jumped, his acrobat talent working against the Jonathan trapped inside his own mind, the Midnighters, the Animorphs, and the entire world.


	5. Chapter 5

**I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THIS!!**

Chapter Five

"JESSICA, STOP HIM!" Melissa bellowed.

Jessica, now knowing something was wrong, grabbed hold of Jonathan's ankle, and was yanked into the air. "Jonathan, what are you doing?" She cried.

Jonathan kicked at her. Jessica managed to dodge the blow, and hurried with her flashlight. As a flame- bringer, she was the only one who could use it in the secret hour. It's beam killed darklings instantly... but it also had an effect on midnighters.

Jessica turned the flashlight on and shined it in Jonathan's face. He screamed, suddenly blinded. Jessica took the only chance she had and brought him back down. With Melissa's help, they managed to tie Jonathan to a tree.

"Well, that was interesting," Melissa muttered. "Nice going, Jess. But, then again, it's your fault he got loose anyway."

"Why don't you tell me what's going on?" Jessica demanded.

Melissa sighed. "I'm sorry, Jessica. Its bad enough Jonathan and I knew so much. Too much would be at risk the more people knew."

Jessica sighed, but relented.

As usual at the end of midnight, Jessica disappeared. Tobias and Rachel were no longer "stiffs." The change of Melissa's and Jonathan's positions kinda threw them off. 'And I thought our secret was weird,' Tobias commented.

Three days passed. Melissa felt the yeerk in Jonathan's head grow weaker and weaker, finally dying altogether. The rest of the Animorphs were present at that moment.

"Uggg," Marco retched at the sight of the yeerk dribbling out of Jonathan's ear. "That is way too gross! Barf- a- rama!"

Cassie untied Jonathan and helped him to his feet. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"A little creeped out," Jonathan admitted. "But none the worse for wear!"

"Good," said Melissa. "We need to get going anyway."

'You won't stay longer?' Tobias asked from his tree branch. Melissa could taste his sadness and regret. She too felt it.

"Don't sweat it," Melissa said. "We'll be back."

"We will?" said Jonathan. The memory of the yeerk was haunting him. It probably always would.

"Yes!" Melissa said. "Oh, and Jake. Don't worry. Your precious secret is safe."

Jake smiled. "Somehow, I don't doubt that."

"Yeah," Jonathan laughed. "Melissa's good at keeping secrets!"

Melissa smiled in spite of herself. "Come on Flyboy."

The Animorphs walked them back to their car, Melissa getting in the driver's seat, Jonathan in shotgun.

"We've got midnighters to find!" Melissa said before starting up the car, and driving away.


End file.
